


This Club Makes My Heart Go...

by PortalDame



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel), Persona 5
Genre: Don't sue me, F/M, If you see this BubblegumPillow, So basically, This is not an original concept, for the record
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-22 15:53:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16600988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PortalDame/pseuds/PortalDame
Summary: (A/N: Hello There! Welcome to the first of many trial experiments for the future of fanfiction writing in our modern age! The goal of this experiment is to see how well our AI systems can write and become their assigned characters so we can slowly erase the issue of our favorite characters being written OOC. Isn't that neat? Anyway, we'll leave you with the current 'PeGo' set and their monitor. Have the best time you can!)Loading DDP5C...... CompleteLoading Ryuji.char...... CompleteLoading Akira.char...... CompleteLoading Yuuki.char...... CompleteLoading Goro.char...... CompleteReady?>YesNo





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, Goro here!  
> Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute story!
> 
> Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members:
> 
> Ryuji, the youthful bundle of energy who values justice the most;  
> Akira, the deceivingly charming boy who packs a rather mischievous punch;  
> Yuuki, the timid and meek one who finds comfort in the world online;  
> ...And, of course, Goro, the leader of the club! That's me!
> 
> I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me?

“Oi, [Y/n]!” You looked over at the call of your name. The boy dashed around, weaving through the people between you and him, occasionally apologizing to any students who ended up getting hit by his bag.

That’s Ryuji Sakamoto. He’s been your friend and neighbour for as long as either of you could remember. I mean, compared to your current friend roster, he definitely seems out of place, but time sure seemed to secure your bond.  
You two had always walked to school together, even if you yourself got strange looks for walking with him. Of course, as strange as it was, after he recovered from his leg injury last year, he’d been coming to school a lot later than he used to. Ryuji says it’s because he’s been over sleeping, and you had made a mental note to get him an alarm clock for his birthday. Still, you’d feel bad if you walked off without him since he got up on time today.

As soon as he caught up with you, he rested his hand on your shoulder for support, gently gripping his right leg with the other, making sure he wasn’t over exerting the appendage. 

“Caught ya’!” He’d said with a grin. You wanted to applaud his efforts to be awake and ready not long after you passed his house, but the toothpaste smear at the corner of his mouth, haphazardly open bag, not to mention how he missed one of his belt loops told you he rushed himself far more than he should’ve to catch up.

“But I waited for you,” You said, watching his confident demeanor deflate a small amount. “Though it was mostly because I didn’t want you hurting yourself.” Ryuji let out a rather boisterous laugh, wrapping one of his arms around your shoulders and pulling you close in a half-hug.

“You really do care about me!” You let out a small laugh, lightly shoving him off before continuing your walk, as the sidewalk began getting populated by more and more students. “Oh!” You looked over at Ryuji after his exclaim paired with a snap of his fingers. “Have you thought about joining any clubs yet?” You pause for a moment to think.

“I dunno actually. I don’t know if I’d fit in with any clubs, so I haven’t really been paying attention to them.” Ryuji’s lips pulled into a pout. It was clear he was displeased with your response.

“But you said you would this year!” You blinked in confusion. Did you? You suppose you very well could’ve. Though you didn’t exactly know why he cared about it so much. Not like any club he would want to join he’d be allowed to join. Still, he did care about you a lot, maybe he just wanted you to come out of your shell more. “Besides, how am I supposed to graduate comfortably if you don’t have social skills?” Yeah, looks like you hit the nail on the head.

“Fine, fine.” Though your tone conveyed annoyance, you said it with a smile on your face. “If it makes you happy, I’ll look at some clubs to join today.” Ryuji seemed to be happy with just that.

The school day went by quicker than you anticipated, though it was still as boring as it usually was. You looked over at one of your other friends (All two of them), Yusuke, as you packed up your papers from the day.

“And so I have to join a club today.” You had told him, summarizing the events of the morning. 

“The art club is always welcoming new members,” He’d said nonchalantly, swinging his bag over one of his shoulders. You gave a dismissive hand wave as you out your bag over your own shoulder.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. I don’t think I’m good enough with drawing as the rest of you guys.” You said with a smile. He simply shrugged, going of to the mentioned club. 

“My offer still stands if you don’t find a club you like.” He calls over his shoulder. You simply smile back and leave the room, only to bump into Ryuji.

“Hey, hey, I know. I was just going to look at the board for them.” You had said, and it's not like you were lying, but rather then the cross armed pouty face rebuttal you'd expected, he simply grinned.

“Well yeah, that's great and all, but I realized I could make it super easy for you!” You quirked a brow in curiosity. “You could just join my club!” 

Wait what?

Since when was Ryuji part of a club? 

While you were lost in thought, he pulled you along the school halls, mentioning about how he himself wasn't into the idea at first but when his friend Akira introduced him into it last week, he thought it'd be perfect for you, not to mention how he may or may not have told the club that a new member was coming and Akira tried making something new just for the occasion, so in what position were you to say no?

You still hadn't audibly agreed or denied his request by the time you got to the clubroom door, just as he was about to open it he looked over at you and said;

“Hey, don't feel pressured, alright? You don't have to join if you don't want to, but can you at least try it?” You sighed, simply nodding in return - it wouldn't hurt you to try it. Granted, it was when he threw the door open, yelling, “I got us a new member!” Resulting in you becoming the center of attention to three other cute boys that you began to panic. It was the boy with short navy blue hair that piped out first, though his cheeks had flushed to a soft pink.

“Ah, welcome to the Literature Club!”

Literature Club? That’s seems strange for Ryuji. “You’re Ryuji’s friend, right? We’ve heard a lot about you!” He gave you a warm, approachable smile. Next, the noiret leaned on one of the desks closest to him, adjusted his glasses and gave a soft laugh.

“A girl, huh, Ryuji? You telling us something?” Ryuji let out a small chuckle, walking over and lightly punching the glasses wearing boy in the arm.

“Nah, I just wanted to make sure she got into a good club is all!” Of course, it was with the last boy in the room that your heart stopped.

Goro Akechi

The most popular boy in your entire school. 

“[Y/n], right?” You can’t help but freeze up, opening and closing your mouth like a fish, before slowly pointing to yourself. “Yes, that’s right, I’m talking to you.” He gave you a charming smile. “It’s a pleasure to have you here.” You were coming to a realization about the club Ryuji brought you to.

This Club was absolutely filled with cute boys!

The noiret smirked at you from over Goro’s shoulder. “What, you like what you see?” The most quiet of the boys piped up from his seat.

“Akira, she just got here. Do you have to flirt with her right away?” Akira’s lips twisted to a look of disappointment as he went off to his own seat. He was one you didn’t recognize, that was for sure. Although, Ryuji said they were his friend, and he didn’t exactly look young. You supposed it was possible he transferred in this year, and if what Ryuji told you is any indication, he knows his way around a cup of coffee. Ryuji went back to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. 

“Don’t worry about Akira, I’m pretty sure he’s tried to get with every girl in school, so you can just ignore him if he starts up like that.” You can’t help but smile back when he grins at you. “So anyway, we got Akira Kurusu, as mischievous as ever,” He said as he pointed to the bespectacled boy. “And over there is Yuuki Mishima, he’s the most quiet one in the club.” He pointed over to the navy haired boy as he typed away on his laptop, but he shyly lowered the monitor once he realized you had his attention. “And you probably already know Goro Akechi.”

I mean, everyone knew Goro Akechi.

And not unlike the cases of many other girl in your school, he was completely out of your league.

“Now, come on and sit! There’s a free spot next to me or Goro if you want.” You looked over, noticing the six desks all fit together to make a makeshift table, Goro already in his seat with Yuuki trying to shuffle in to his left as quietly as possible, wincing at a screech the chair leg made against the floor. Ryuji casually plopped into the seat across from him, and you quickly and quietly sat to his left, not just because you knew Ryuji the longest but you were sure your heart would explode if you sat by the Goro Akechi for more than five minutes.

“Alright,” Akira breathed out, setting down a cup of coffee beside everyone, except Ryuji, whose cup smelt distinctly different- hot cocoa, you had to gather, due to his dislike of coffee. You thanked Akira as he set down your cup, though he quickly spun around to grab a large foil tray, along with a handful of disposable plates and forks. “You ready?” He had asked to all of you, though you ended up being the one he focused on it particular. “Ta-da!” He exclaimed as he removed the thin foil lid, revealing half a dozen small, square pieces of strawberry shortcake. 

“Woah!” Ryuji had yelled out, clearly in awe at the small cakes. “This is what you were working on last night? They look awesome, dude!” Akira had clearly seemed pleased with the praise as he carefully set a piece on each plate, gently setting them in front of each member, the last piece sitting lonely by itself in the tin.

The shortcake itself seemed to look lovely, the cake looked light and spongy, two layers separated by a thin layer of icing and strawberries, topped with another layer of icing and a large, fresh looking strawberry. Everyone was happily eating their cake when you looked up, save for Ryuji, who was already but a couple bites away from finishing his piece, and Akira who kept glancing over in your direction. You decided to finally start on your own piece, taking a small bite. The cake was a wonderful base, and the icing and strawberries complimented each other perfectly.

“It’s really good, Akira.” The mentioned male leaned his face on his hand, propping his elbow on the table to look at you, a warm welcoming smile playing on his lips, rather contradictory to his flirty tone from earlier.

“No need to thank me, it’s not like I made them for you or anything.” While it was clear he was trying to keep a cool image, the way the tips of his ears became noticeably red told you more than any essay could.

“By the way, is it okay to keep the kettle and cups in a classroom like this?” You had asked, referring to all of the dishes the coffee needed.

“Oh, this? Worry not, we have a teacher’s permission for it.” Goro informed you with smile. “Actually, it was Yuuki’s idea.” The blue haired boy seemed to jump a small bit, clearly caught off guard in the conversation.

“W-well, I mean, Akira already has access to a lot of coffee, and I just thought it added to the relaxing atmosphere we’re trying to get.” He had said, not looking you in the eye, but looking at the tips of his plastic fork as he twisted it on the surface of the table.

“Huh,” You began. “Well, I personally love coffee, and if it’s a relaxing atmosphere you’re going for, you’re pretty much there.” Yuuki seemed to smile in relief at that. Goro looked over at you with a quirked brow.

“By the way, [Y/n], what made you consider our little Literature club?” He had asked, crimson eyes boring into you.You were almost positive you wouldn’t have made the best impression on him if you mentioned that Ryuji just dragged you here, quite literally. 

“Ah well, y’know, Ryuji wanted me to join a club soon and he seemed really happy here so…” You trailed off, looking off to the tiled floor. 

“Well, don’t worry about it, okay? We’ll do our best to make you feel right at home.” You looked up to see Goro giving you one of the warmest welcoming smiles you’d ever seen. “As club leader, it’s my personal responsibility to make sure our club is fun and exciting for everyone.”

“I’m surprised, Goro. You didn’t seem like the type to start your own club, I mean, you could probably be a strong asset for any of the clubs here. Weren’t you in the captain of the debate team just last year?” Yeah, he was, and you had to admit, he absolutely crushed it. As a fellow member before they disbanded, it was kind of amazing to watch him completely unravel his opponents argument.

“Oh well, most of the larger clubs are just surrounded in a feeling of hostility, mostly just arguing about the budget and publicity and how to plan for events.” He paused, a rather calm look on his face. “I’d rather just make something special out of something I love.” He gestured over to the bookshelf in the back, mostly taken up by works you recognized as mystery novels, though there were also a handful of romance novels, poem omnibuses and a surprising amount of manga. “It’s been getting Ryuji into reading, if things like… that, count. But that’s been fulfilling all on it’s own.”

“Isn’t Goro such a good club leader?” Yuuki had asked, a look of sincere admiration on his face, not long after Akira nodded in agreement. Still, there was something about this that didn’t seem right…

“But it feels weird for the club to be this empty. Especially if you’re here, I’d thought girls would be flocking. I guess it’s just hard to start a new club…” You mumbled the last part to no one in particular.

“I guess you could say that.” Goro said, leaning back in thought. “Not many people are willing to even start clubs, and if people just see ‘Literature Club’ they usually aren’t interested enough to check it out at all. You need to be able to reach out and grab people’s attention, which is why things like the Culture Festival are so important. I’m confident we’ll be able to grow this club well before the school year ends. Right you guys?” He looked over at the other three, to which Ryuji suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, catching everyone off guard.

“HELL YEAH!” There was a brief pause, before you burst into a fit of giggles, Ryuji seemingly pleased with the result. 

“We’ll do the best we can, Goro.” Yuuki had told him with a smile, Akira enthusiastically agreeing as well. Huh. Such different guys all with the same goal to grow their little club. In a way it was overwhelming, but in another way you strongly admired them. “So [Y/n], what kind of things do you like reading anyway?” He’d asked, occasionally glancing at his laptop behind you, which still remained half open.

“Oh well,” You paused in thought. “Mostly manga, actually. Though I do have a soft spot for poetry.” Yuuki seemed to mull over your response, before simply nodding in understandment. “What about you, Yuuki?” 

“Ah well,” He stopped, as if thinking on how he wanted to properly word it. “They tend to focus mostly on characters, trying to deeproot itself in backstory. Sometimes they take me to worlds of complete fantasy and other times they stay grounded in reality.” Yuuki goes on and on about his reading, though he seemed to be avoiding specifics, you couldn’t help but notice the amused looks on the other three’s faces. “Oh, but I’ve been looking at this one surrealist horror lately…” He finally trailed off, not knowing where to take the conversation next.

“I didn’t really expect that from you, Yuuki. Actually, you seem more like the type who’d like sweet romances more than horror.” Yuuki let out a nervous laugh at the prodding from Goro. 

“Oh well,” His face seemed to flush a little. “The protagonist is really cute; that’s what drew me in, actually. But the actually ways the g-” He cut himself off. “The story changes to surprise you makes it so you really can’t put it down.”

“Horror is soo… ugh.” Akira grumbles out. Ryuji laughs, standing up and resting his chin on top of Akira’s head. 

“That’s our Aki; a romancer through and through. Hell, we can barely keep him away from girls from how much he learns from them.” Akira let out a sharp breath, his bangs briefly moving out of his eyes. 

“Actually I think he even tried writing a poem for that Okumura girl yesterday. It was called something like-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Akira yelled out, cutting Goro off. His face more than a little flush. “How’d you know about that, anyway?” Goro simply giving him a sheepish smile as he pulled a scrap of paper out from his blazer pocket. Akira simply snatched it from his hand with a huff.

“I mean, I can kinda understand where Akira’s coming from. It can be really embarrassing to show something you wrote to anyone, not just someone you care about.” Yuuki piped up, a soft pink tinting his cheeks.

“Wait you have writing experience too, Yuuki?” Goro asked, and you could immediately see a look of regret flash across Yuuki’s face. “Maybe you could show us something you wrote to encourage Akira to show his.” Yuuki sunk farther and farther in his seat, as if trying to find a way to escape the situation. At the point where his face was just peeking from beyond the table an awkward silence fell upon the clubroom.

“You know what, I have an idea, everyone!” Goro announced, gaining everyone’s attention. “Why don’t we all go home and write a poem of our own? Then, next meeting, we can share them with each other, we’re all even that way!” Akira and Yuuki sat in silence, before once again, Ryuji pipped in, rather loudly.

“EFF YEAH!” For someone who didn’t seem like he’d like literature at all, he seemed very enthusiastic about this. 

“Not to mention with a new member, stuff like this should help increase our bond as a club. Don’t you think, [Y/n]?” You paused in thought. You never did say you would join the club but on the other hand…

If writing poetry was the only price to pay to spend time with these boys- with Goro Akechi- then like hell it was worth it!

“Yeah, Goro’s right!” The chestnut haired male seemed happy with your reply. 

“Alright, everyone!” He announced once more. “I think with that cleared up, we can end today’s meeting on a high note, so be sure not to forget your poems for tomorrow, alright? I can’t wait to see your writing especially, [Y/n]!” 

Your heart was pounding. Could you really appeal to school star Goro Akechi with your… less than stellar writing skill? Your anxieties cleared as Ryuji grabbed your attention. 

“Hey, [Y/n], since we’re done here, do you want to walk home together?” Oh yeah, because of clubs and stuff, you two never got to walk home together anymore.  
“I’d like that.” He gave you a bright grin, grabbing your hand, practically dragging you around once more. 

While you two were walking home, you couldn’t help but think of the Literature Club once again.

Ryuji, Akira, Yuuki and Goro, huh? 

Would you really be happy going to a Literature Club with them everyday? Perhaps you’d get a chance to get closer to one of them.

You decided to take your good circumstances and make the most of it, and that all starts with writing a poem tonight.


	2. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With You
> 
> I send my prayer high in the sky  
> And smile as it meets a rainbow, so high  
> Though I am hurt  
> Leaving scars, for I can’t die  
> Romance is what I wish for,  
> Your smile leading me by.
> 
> It’s always sunny when you’re around  
> Cheer more infectious than any disease  
> I’m never alone when your at my side  
> Comfort me, please?
> 
> Pulling me into an impromptu dance  
> You melt my pain away  
> My heart is in your hands, my dear  
> Can things always be peaceful this way?
> 
> Hold me in a tight embrace, never let me go  
> Happiness erupts far too fast in my chest  
> Like fireworks that I’m not meant to show  
> Your laugh rings in my ears  
> And makes me feel a neverending bliss
> 
> Though I still know the feeling is unrequited  
> And that’s about it.

“Hi again, [Y/n]!” Goro greeted with a smile you as you walked in the clubroom. “Glad to see you didn’t run off on us.” He let out a gentle laugh.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to worry. I find literature rather relaxing. I’m honestly more shocked Ryuji’s still here.” You looked over Goro’s shoulder, noticing everyone else was already there and seated.

“Thanks for coming back, [Y/n]!” Yuuki had said with a small grin. “I hope this place isn’t too much of a commitment for you. I can’t imagine just being forced into a club on such short notice.”  
“Ah, come on, she doesn’t need you to cut her extra slack. Ryuji was bringing up how you weren’t even going to join a club this year.” Akira looked directly into your eyes. “I don’t know if you’re just coming here to hang out or whatever but just having a cute face won’t save you if you don’t take us seriously.” Goro burst out in a small laugh.

“Aren’t you the same one who keeps his romance novels in the clubroom?” Akira paused, making a small noise, though you couldn’t pin whatever he was trying to say. He shook his head, finally formulating some sort of argument.

“At least it’s real literature!” You weren’t entirely sure who the comment was directed, Ryuji’s mouth twisted into a look of disappointment, which you kind of expected, but Yuuki seemed to be affected by it, too. 

“I mean, I don’t think we have to worry.” Ryuji tried to reassure the other three. “[Y/n] always goes all the way into something if she’s having fun with it. She even helps me out with some of my chores and stuff if she’s got time.” Yuuki seemed to have a look of admiration glinting in his eyes.

“Wow, how dependable of you!” 

“Oh, no, no, it’s nothing like that.” You held your hands up in a small gesture of defense. “It’s just that his room is so messy that it gets distracting sometimes. Oh, and not to mention that I helped you cook once because you almost burned your house down.” Ryuji sputtered out an excuse, but both of you turned to look at the sound of Yuuki’s soft laughter. 

“Gosh, you two sure are good friends, huh? I gotta admit, I’m kinda jealous of you, Ryuji.” Ryuji seemed to look genuinely shocked at his observation. 

“Oh, don’t say that, Yuuki. You and [Y/n] can be great friends, too!” An odd and silent atmosphere fell between the three of you, clear that Ryuji couldn’t sense the strange tone that befell at the very least you and Yuuki. “I mean, he even brought you something for today, so you’re already taking the right steps!”

“Er, wait Ryuji-” He started, only to be cut off.

“What? You don’t need to be shy about it!” Ryuji clearly egging him on to present whatever the ‘something’ was.

“But it really isn’t much of anything…” He trailed off, but you quickly voiced your curiosities about this presumed gift- you couldn’t help yourself! “Oh, n-never mind! Ryuji’s just making it seem like a much bigger deal than it really is. Ah, what to do…?” Your dear friend seemed to realize what went wrong, quickly apologizing to the shy boy.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it, really.” You told Yuuki as you pulled up a chair to sit across from him. “I wasn’t expecting anything from any of you in the first place, not to mention you don’t seem like the type to open up that much, so anything from you feels special, you know?” 

“Are you sure?” He asked, his tone quiet.

“Yeah, if you don’t want me to make a big deal about it, I won’t.” You assured him with a soft smile. 

“...Alright.” He mumbled out, digging around in his bag, pulling out a book. He skimmed over the cover, double checking if it was the proper book. “Here you go.” He said as he handed you the book. “I didn’t want you to feel too left out, so I picked out something you might like… with Ryuji’s help, of course.” He admitted that last part rather sheepishly. “It’s rather short, so even if you don’t like reading very much, you should be able to make it through no problem. Oh and not to mention we could…” His cheeks tinted a very soft pink as he tried his best to avoid eye contact. “Discuss it, maybe…?” 

You covered up the lower half of your face, hiding most of the blush that was painting it. How was this boy being so cute? That’s not fair! But still, picking out a book for you, even without know how much you’d be willing to read in general. How sweet of him!

“Yuuki, thank you! I’ll definitely read it!” You took the book from his hands, rubbing one of your thumbs over the cover, enjoying the texture. A look of relief washed over his face. 

“Don’t feel the need to rush yourself when you read it, just bring it back whenever you finish it and we can talk about it. I’m excited to hear what you think!” The two of your exchange one more smile as you finally settle in.

As you sat, you expected Goro to kick off some sort of scheduled club activity, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Though you did notice Goro talking with Ryuji in the corner, not to mention how Yuuki already was buried into his laptop, like he was waiting for this, and Akira was rummaging around in the closet, occasionally calling out to Ryuji, asking him for confirmation on… something or other.  
Still, looked like everyone was in their own little world without you. What to do? You supposed you could start on the book Yuuki gave you, but at the same time, you were a bit too tired to start something like that right now. Would it be disrespectful if you took a nap? Hmmm, even it was, Ryuji would probably have your back in any case. You rested your head in your arms on the desk, and listened in to Goro and Ryuji’s conversation.

“I dunno, man. Don’t you think we’ll seem a bit… boring compared to everybody else?” There was a brief pause.

“Hmm…” Another pause. “Well, at any rate, we can’t give up. The culture festival is our best hope at getting new members. Considering that it’s not all just dense and intellectual, like people say it is, we just need to show that to everyone. Something that can help them express their creative minds.”

“Huh.” You could distinctly hear Ryuji’s chair scraping against the floor as he shuffled his chair around. “But does that really solve the problem?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I mean that it’s literature, Goro. Even if it’s the coolest event ever, no one will show up. Because it’s literature. So, we need to find a way to draw attention so people will actually, y’know, show up. Oh, and then, once their in, then we do all that ‘Creative Minds’ shit you were talking about.”

You had to admit, you were surprised at how seriously Ryuji was taking this. Although considering how he was with the track team last year, maybe he was just naturally good at helping to manage clubs.

“Oh, I suppose you do have a point, Ryuji. Maybe food would do the trick?” You could hear Ryuji’s chair clatter against the floor and his palms slam on the desk.

“Let’s ask Akira to make some more of that shortcake!” Goro let out a sweet laugh that you could listen to for hours.

“Of course, good thinking. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at all. Regardless…” You heard Ryuji pick up his chair as something else was placed on the desk. “We still need to work out all of the specifics of the event itself.”

You can’t help but smile. Ryuji’s still Ryuji, and it fills you with such happiness to know. Though, in a way, that’s one of the reasons you’d always admired him. While you sometimes had a rather difficult time doing anything even when you were started, implying he had a reason to do so, he’d go all the way into something once he starts it. Maybe that’s why you let him get on your case every now and again. What was the world like in his eyes, anyhow?  
“Eep!” You squeak in shock as Ryuji’s face fills your vision when you finally open your eyes. He gives a soft laugh before stepping back, leaning against the desk behind him. 

“Sorry, sorry.” His grin suddenly contorts in a look between confusion and disappointment. “Wait, wait. No I’m not. Yeah, I’m not! You shouldn’t be sleeping around like that.” You bit your cheek, trying not to bring up the fact that Ryuji was often found sleeping in his classes rather than an after school club. “You haven’t been staying up late again, have you? You don’t have as much time than you used to because of the club, so you gotta get used to that.” Genuine concern laced his voice- this wasn’t the first time something like this happened, it happened back in middle school to, but he thought you’d been getting better about that. You just give him a sleepy smile.

“I know, I know.” You softly giggle. “You’re always looking out for me, Ryuji.” He snickered in response. 

“It’s what I do best!” Though you couldn’t help but notice some smaller imperfections on him- not like, something he was born with, nothing like that, but it was more so things that could take minutes tops to fix.

“Geez, that’s not good at all. You look after me better than yourself!” You stand up and start rummaging in your bag. “And I bet you overslept again today too, right? You do every other day.” A nervous smile came across his face.

“Not everyday…” You pause and looked up, standing up straight to rest your hands on your hips. You let out a huff and quirked an eyebrow at him, obvious you weren’t convinced. 

“How many times have you woken up on time this past week?” You watched him count on his fingers, though he paused just after one.

“It’s a secret.” He mumbled, crossing his arms. You let out a ‘Mmmhmm’ before going back into your bag. “Aw, c’monnn,” He groaned. “At least give me the benefit of a doubt?” You returned from your bag with a comb and your favourite handkerchief. 

“You don’t even get that, Ryuji. I mean, it’s written all over your face.” He had a look of visible confusion as you sat him down in the nearest chair you could get behind. 

“Erm, how?” He looked up when he asked you, only for you to face his head forward. 

“It’s beyond clear you were rushing yourself today,” You began as you started coming through his hair. “First of all, your hair’s all sticking out over here.” Though it may have been just short enough for most to not notice, you couldn't help yourself. “Your’s jackets on inside out,” He quickly hopped to his feet to fix the error, clearly flustered about it. “And,” You let out a loud groan of disappointment. “This toothpaste again!” You firmly held his head in place, dabbing you handkerchief on your tongue, wiping away the toothpaste from the corner of his mouth. “And please, don’t give me this ‘no one else would notice’ excuse. They very much do and don’t want to embarass you.” You pause, letting out a sigh of relief at seeing the result of your handiwork. “And you wonder why you can’t get a girlfriend. It’s because you present yourself like a complete slob all the time.” You pulled his blazer back off, pulling up his suspenders and hooking them on his shoulders.

“Jeez, you could pull back a bit.” He pouted, clearly hurt by your onslaught. You simply hand waved it, pulling up the other suspender.

“But look at yourself now. Don’t you feel… fresher now?” You watched as he looked down at himself, turning his head to see every angle.

“I guess?” Though there was a brief pause, he soon let out a snort. “I was just thinking how weird it was that I had a girl who did all this for me. I kinda like the things the way they are, honestly.” You mulled the thought over in your mind.

“Yeah, I do, too.” There was another pause, Ryuji looking rather uncomfortable before tearing his suspenders back down and throwing his blazer back on.

“So if I keep those off, I won’t get a girlfriend, right?” You stared at him, puzzled.

“What kinda logic is that? In fact, of all people you’re the last person I’d expect to say that like it’s a good thing!” Your brain immediately flashed back to anytime the boy’d lament the fact he’d yet to get a girlfriend.

“‘Cause what if she’d be super clingy? She’d never let you do anything you just did. Not to mention you take care of me better than anyone else anyway.” A light blush dusted his cheeks at that last part. “So, I’m keepin’ ‘em off!” You quietly laughed, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

“Geez, it’s embarrassing when you say stuff like that.” Though there was still an unbreaking smirk on his face. “L-look, let’s just focus on waking up earlier, okay?” You veered the topic to what started the conversation in the first place. 

“Only if you go to bed earlier.”

“Fine, it’s a promise, then.” You held out your pinkie, and he quickly locked his with yours, marking it as a promise, though he quickly burst out laughing.

“I guess we really are better at taking care of each other than ourselves, huh?” You started snickering along with him.

“Yeah, guess we are.”

“Okay, everyone!” Goro’s voice quickly blanketed the small club room, causing Akira to peek out from the closet and for Yuuki to finally take his eyes off his monitor. “Why don’t we share the poems we wrote now?” Ryuji seemed happy about this, audibly cheering.

“I can’t wait to see what you wrote, [Y/n]!” He called as he left to get his poem. You nervously scratched the back of your neck. Would your poem meet everyone's standards?

“Did you remember to write something [Y/n]?” Goro asks you, his voice and demeanor both as calm as you’d expect, but that didn’t change the fact you were still panicking about it’s quality.

“Oh, uhm, yeah.” You bring it out from your bag, noticing Yuuki already has his pulled out a piece of printer paper and Akira had taken out a simple lined sheet. You looked over at Goro, who’d taken out an entire binder and was flipping through it, before stopping on a page with a small ‘Aha!’.

“Well, now that everyone seems to be ready, why don’t you pick someone to share with?” You swallowed a lump in your throat. Who would it be best to show it to, anyway? Ryuji would probably be the best to show it to first, he’d probably judge it the least, anyway.

“Woah, dude!” He exclaimed as soon as he finished reading. “This is so good! You’ve had to have done this before, right?” You nervously laughed in response.

“N-no, you’re way, waaaay overreacting, Ryuji. I’m not that good of a writer, I just started, after all, so I don’t really know what I’m doing.” He simply grinned at you in return.

“I mean, I don’t know what I like either! Maybe that’s why I like it so much.” Huh. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea? Goro most certainly could give you some constructive criticism, hell, even being the shrinking violet he was, Yuuki would probably have something better to say.

“Are you sure it’s not just because I wrote it?” You asked, eyebrows furrowed. Ryuji’s chocolate coloured eyes widened in response.

“I mean, I’m sure that might be part of it but…” He trailed off, trying to find the right words. “I think I just get you better than most people, y’know? So I’m not just reading a poem, I’m reading a [Y/n] poem, so it’s extra rad!” He skimmed over your poem one more time. “It’s like I can feel your emotions boiling inside it.

“That’s a little weird, Ryuji.”

“I mean, I’m just glad you wrote one. It’s the main reason I wanted to join this club, y’know? I thought you’d really like it.”

“I mean, I guess if you put it that way…” And you had to admit, so far, you were enjoying yourself. “But still, if that’s the case, then I’m glad you’re trying new things for people. That’s something only the best people do.” He seemed at least somewhat taken aback by your compliment, nervously.

“Err, thanks, [Y/n]. But remember, I’m gonna make this the most fun club ever for you, you hear?” You give him a sweet smile.

“I’ll be holding you to that, then.” You looked over to the scrap piece of paper on his desk. “Is that your poem? Can I read it?” Ryuji nods enthusiastically, handing you the paper that was in admittedly poor condition, as well as giving you back your own. 

“I’m not really that good though.” He says with a weak smile.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” You say as you begin to read his poem.

_ Dear Sunshine_

__The way you glow through my blinds in the morning  
_It makes me feel like you missed me._  
__Kissing my forehead to help me out of bed.  
___Making me rub the sleepy from my eyes._  


____

__

__

__

___Are you asking me to come out and play_  
__Are you trusting me to wish away a rainy day?  
_I look above. The sky is blue.  
_ _It's a secret, but I trust you too._

_ __ _

_ If it wasn't for you, I could sleep forever.  
But I'm not mad. _

_ I want breakfast. _

“I mean,” You began. “It’s a lot better than I was expecting from you, if I’m being honest.” His eyes seemed to light up at that. “Though on the other hand…” His face fell, just by a small amount. “Did you write this this morning?”

“No…?” He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than you, and the questioning look you gave him just made him sigh in defeat. “I may or may not have… completely forgotten… to write it last night. But I mean, hey, I tried my best, right? This poetry stuff’s like a whole other language to me.”

“I never said it was a bad poem by any stretch of the imagination.” You smile warmly as you hand him back his poem. “Even still, it feels like something you would write, y’know?”

“For real?” You simply nod in affirmation, looking over and pointing at the last line of his poem.

“Yeah, especially this line here.” He chuckled, thinking back to earlier in the day.

“My ma made me eggs ‘n toast.” Yeah, that sounded about right. Mrs.Sakamoto was a sweetheart, so it didn’t come as a shock to you that she’d make her son breakfast in the morning.

“And you still stopped for it even though you were running late?” He pouted, crossing his arms. 

“It’s bad to skip breakfast!” And his mother would’ve been saddened by it, which you were willing to bet was the main reason he made sure to eat.

“Anyway, no point in arguing it. Thank you for showing me your poem, Ryuji.” Ryuji grinned in response.

“Hey, next time I won’t forget and I’ll write the best poem ever, you’ll see!” You lightly laugh in response.

“I suppose I’m holding you to that, too.”

You decided to show your poem to Goro next, figuring out of anybody he’d probably the most likely to give you constructive criticism. Definitely not because you really wanted to impress him. 

Definitely not that.

“Hey [Y/n].” He greeted as you approached him. “Are you having a good time so far?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, I am.” Goro smiled, it was a type of smile that made your heart melt.

“That’s wonderful to hear. Oh! That’s right,” He interrupted his own train of thought with a snap of his fingers. “Since you’re new, [Y/n], I just want you to know that if you have any suggestions for new activities or things we could do better in this club, I’m all ears at any time, so don’t be afraid to bring anything up, alright?”  
“Oh, uhm, thank you, Goro. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Though between the two of you, Ryuji would probably be more likely to voice his opinions about any issues the club would have. You yourself were much more complacent with anything that the club would do, just going with the flow unless something really, really wrong happened.

“May I see your poem?” He pointed to the paper in your hands. You had to admit, you’d almost completely forgotten about it. 

“Oh, sure.” You mumbled as you handed it over to him. “It’s kinda embarrassing, but I did try my best on it.” Your tone was still soft as you watched Goro’s crimson eyes flick back and forth as he read your poem, though he quickly glanced up at you in the middle of his reading, only to give a soft chuckle.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’re all just a little embarrassed today, is all. It’s just a kind of barrier that all of us have to get through.” He continued reading through your poem, occasionally zeroing in on certain parts, but which they were you weren’t exactly sure. He finished with a small smile as he set it on the desk in front of him, just next to his small binder. “I like this one, [Y/n]. It kinda reminds me of something Ryuji would like, actually.”

“You really think so?” It would explain his earlier reaction.

“Yeah. You two are close friends, right? I wouldn’t be surprised if you had those things in common, be it intentional or not.” He said as he looked from your poem to Ryuji, the latter proudly showing Akira his poem.

“Well, I mean, even if you say that, we’re still really different.” You take a brief moment to acknowledge the fact of Ryuji’s fondness of fitness- one you never really could bring yourself to work with him with- not to mention his lack of academic prowess and the fact that just today he admitted the main reason he joined this club was that you could have a club you’d like with a familiar face already present.

“I mean, sure all of those points might be the case, but there’s this way Ryuji talks about you during meetings. From what he says it’s really clear to me that you both care about each other and your well-beings, even if you show it in different ways. Oh but I’ve been rambling right? I guess I can’t help myself. That’s just the way your poem makes me feel.” A light pink dusted both your cheeks and Goro’s.

“Gosh… You sure you aren’t reading into it too much?” You had asked, timidly looking away. Goro simply scratched the back of his neck.

“Well, I very well could be.” He let out a small laugh in an attempt to relieve tension. “Heh. I must sound like Yuuki right now, hmm? Anyway, by any point, Ryuji’s writing, in contrast to his personality, seems to have a bit of a gentle feel to it, and he usually plays around with emotions like happiness and sadness.” He let out another chuckle, but this one felt less forced out than the last. “Who knew someone like that could articulate such expressive poetry?”

“Yeah, I have to admit, I was surprised, too. But, in a way he’s been impressing me lately. It’s like he’s been opening his mind to new things.” 

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, even you should try experimenting with new things every now and again, [Y/n].” You gaze shifted over to your poem.

“Oh well, I do want to try new things, but I’m still just starting out. Getting something for this club meeting at all was a bit of a higher priority than trying out something super fancy and only ending up with one sentence.”

“Ah, I see, yes, that makes sense. But still, I’d love to see you experiment more, it’s the best way to find a style that suits you, although everyone else may be a bit biased toward their own styles… You know what? I’ll do my best to help you find a style that suits you the most. If you want me to, anyway. But regardless of that you should write what you want to write. It’s not like you have to try to impress anyone here, right?” Your heart stopped. He didn’t catch on to anything you were doing, right? You hoped not. If it was that obvious you were trying to impress him… gosh, what then? “Oh that’s right,” Goro picked up his binder. “Would you like to read mine?” His tone seemed sheepish compared to his earlier demeanor. In a way it made him seem more realistic, like he wasn’t as far away as you’d imagined.

“Of course.” You said with a smile as he gently handed you the binder.

**Hole in the Wall**

**It couldn’t have been me.  
** **See, the direction the spackle protrudes.  
** **A noisy neighbor? An angry boyfriend? I’ll never know. I wasn’t home.  
** **I peer inside for a clue.  
** **No! I can’t see. I reel, blind, like a film left out in the sun.  
** **But it’s too late. My retinas.  
** **Already scorched with a permanent copy of the meaningless image.  
** **It’s just a little hole. It wasn’t too bright.  
** **It was too deep.  
** **Stretching forever into everything.  
** **A hole of infinite choices.  
** **I realize now, that I wasn’t looking in.  
** **I was looking out.  
**And she, on the other side, was looking in.** **

********

“So, what do you think?” Goro asked, finding your long silence a tad unnerving. The words were on the tip of your tongue…

“It’s… Freeform, if that’s what you call it?” You let out a nervous laugh at your own lack of knowledge. ‘I’m sorry, I’m probably not a great person to ask for feedback on.” 

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s alright. I just noticed that style has been getting pretty popular nowadays. Putting emphasis on the timing between words and lines, I mean. Though styles like that are ideal for being performed aloud.” Huh. Goro really knew his stuff about this, huh?

“Uhm, what was the inspiration behind this one?” You asked, skimming it over again.

“Oh that? Hmmm… How do I put this…?” He paused in thought. “I guess you could say I’ve had some kind of epiphany lately? It’s been influencing my poems recently.” You looked at him curiously as you handed back the binder.

“Really? I didn’t expect someone like you to have something like that at your age.”

“Ah, well, calling it an epiphany is really the best way I could describe it. I must admit, that it makes me rather nervous to talk to you about it.” He paused, before a look of unsettlement came across his face. “N-not that I’m saying you wouldn’t get it, or anything! It’s just that I’m afraid the topic may come on too strongly. Though perhaps, if you’d like I could tell you a bit more about it if we get to know each other better?” 

Well, as curious as you were, you couldn’t blame him for his decision. If you had come to something like that, you probably wouldn’t tell someone you only really met just yesterday. Granted, you weren’t sure you’d tell Ryuji either, seeing as he was rather prone to spouting secrets as if it were second nature.

“I could give you some writing advice if you’d like?” You nodded enthusiastically- I mean, if he was the president of course he knew good advice! He smiled at your energy. “Very well, here’s Goro’s writing tip for the day.” You listened intently as he began. “Sometimes when you’re writing a story, or even a poem, for that matter, you can find yourself far too fixated on a certain point, though if you try as hard as you can to make it perfect, you won’t be getting anywhere. It’s best to just force yourself to write something down in the moment, even if it’s just a placeholder. Another way to think about it is if you’re typing up something and you pause in thought for too long you’ll just have a string of the same letter for a paragraph, so glide around the keys and go with the flow!” 

“Oh, okay, I think I get what you mean. Thank you for the advice, Goro!” You gave him a brief farewell before going off to show your poem to Akira, an extra spring in your step as you felt that the gap between you and Goro got a tiny amount shorter.

You awkwardly shifted your weight back and forth as Akira read your poem, his charcoal black eyes flicking across the paper, back and forth, back and forth, before occasionally glancing up at you. You looked back up at him when you heard him set the paper down.

“It’s about what I expected from you. I mean, it’s kinda cute here and there, but other than that, it’s nothing spectacular.” Your spirit felt a tad crushed, but you had to at least be glad he was being honest with you.

“Sure but… That’s a little blunt, no?” Akira paused, trying to find footing in his phrasing.

“It’s not like I said that it was bad, but it didn’t make me feel anything, you know?” You mulled over his response.

“So it’s just not you type of stuff?” 

“Not at all, in fact, I rather like it but....” He trailed off for but a moment. “It feels like I’m not the person who’s supposed to be reading it, you understand? It feels more intimate than anyone else’s here.” Oh. Well, he wasn’t wrong, per se; it was just really embarrassing to admit. A soft chuckle reached your ears, and you could only guess the warmth on your face was showing, telling Akira he couldn’t be more right. “Well, anyway, I guess I still need to show you mine, right?” He brought out a piece of lined paper, his handwriting far neater than Ryuji’s. “Though I’m not entirely sure you’ll like it.”

Eagles Can Fly

Monkeys can climb  
Crickets can leap  
Horses can race  
Owls can seek  
Cheetahs can run  
Eagles can fly  
People can try  
But that's about it 

Akira furrowed his eyebrows, both irritated and nervous at your silence.

“I told you you probably wouldn’t like it.” You looked up at him before setting his poem down next to your own. Perhaps it was just your imagination, but he seemed more charming than he did before you read it.

“But I like it.” Akira’s eyes widened, before he turned his head, snapping all of his attention to you.

“I mean, come on, there’s no need for forced flattery. Just be honest with me.” You blinked in confusion.

“But… I am?” You give him a relaxed smile, encouraging him to unwind, much like he’d been yesterday. “I don’t know why you were so convinced I’d hate it.” 

“Well it’s ‘cause writing from a high schooler is supposed to be all fancy and sophisticated. That’s what Yuuki thinks, anyway, so whenever I try to show someone they don’t give me the time of day. I was trying a more ‘mature’ style with the one Goro was talking about yesterday, but it was a super big work in progress.” He paused briefly. “And I hated it.” 

“That’s not how I see it. Poems are supposed to be about expressing yourself, right? So your writing style shouldn’t matter, as long as you write with your heart, your message should be loud and clear right?” His eyes lit up.

“I know right?! Honestly, poetry is best when it’s simple but hits you hard! Like in this poem. I mean, isn’t it disheartening to see everyone around you do great things while you stay the same- or worse, when you see absolutely atrocious people getting away with whatever they want and no matter who tries to stop them they never come out with a scratch. It’s supposed to be a huge reminder that nothing in life is fair.” 

“Yeah, I understand!” You gently chewed on your tongue. You really wanted to comment on how cute you thought his phrasing was, but you had a feeling you were just gonna put out his passion and you’d be back to square one.

“Though the best part of simple writing is how much the word choice starts to matter. Like, near the end I set up for a rhyme and let it fall flat, that way it has more impact on the reader.”

 

“Huh. I guess a lot more went in to this than I initially thought.” 

“Well, I like to consider myself a pro, so I guess this proves it. You probably didn’t expect something like that from me, huh?”

“Oh uhm, sure?” You tried your best to humor him. To be honest, you didn’t expect that from him, but you weren’t sure what you were supposed to expect from him, exactly. Still, he seemed proud, so you wouldn’t take that from him.

Finally you made your way over to Yuuki, though you quickly found yourself apologizing as you’d gave him a brief shock when you greeted him. He really did seem to absorb himself in his laptop whenever he could, though every time you tried to look over he lowered his monitor. He brushed off the topic by asking for your poem.

You two remained in an awkward silence. Two minutes had passed, more than enough time for him to have read it. Upon closer inspection, you saw his eyes stare intently at the page, unwavering and unmoving. 

“Ummm, Yuuki?” He jumped again at your sudden words. 

“Oh! Uh…” He trailed off, eyes darting around the room. “Did.. Did I forget to start talking?” He let out an audible sigh.

“Hey it’s fine, you don’t have to force yourself to-” He held up his hand, cutting you off.

“Nonono, it’s fine. I just need a moment to articulate my words. Hold on…” You both sat in another moment of silence before Yuuki let out an audible exhale. “Okay. This is your first time writing poetry, right?”

“Erm, yeah, that’s right. Why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to make sure. I kinda guessed that from reading it.” You looked down at your shoes, gently kicking one of your legs back and forth.

“That bad, huh?”

“NO!” You let out a squeak of shock, and Yuuki lowered himself, slowly covering his mouth with his hand. “Ah, I’m sorry for raising my voice, it wasn’t very nice of me, was it?” He simply buried his face in his hands, closing himself off once again.

You couldn’t help but notice you hadn’t gotten anywhere in the past ten minutes. Yuuki really isn’t the type to open up to new people quickly, huh?

“It’s… it’s fine, Yuuki. I barely noticed.” He slowly looked up, an ash grey eye staring right at you. “Just tell me what’s on your mind.” He slowly sat up, staring down at his lap for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

“It’s just that there are a few pitfalls of new writers I’ve noticed you falling into. Having been through that phase… myself, I’ve started learning how to pick up on them. More often than not, new writers are far too invested in trying to cultivate their style, but they don’t think about it enough so their style and the topic at hand don’t go well together, so both elements are weakened.” You couldn’t help but watch in awe as Yuuki explained early writing pitfalls to you. With his newfound confidence it was like he was a completely different person.

“But my point is, it’s not your fault. There’s so many different techniques and skills that could go into a poem, so it’s best to learn by experience and examples until you find what works the very best.” You simply nodded.  
“Oh alright. I think I get it. Well, do you think I could read yours as an example then?” His eyes widened before he smiled. 

“Please do! I’d love to share my inspiration on it!” He said as he handed you a piece of printer paper, his poem written out neatly in an Arial, 11 point font.

_Ghost under the light_ _The tendrils of her hair illuminate beneath the amber glow._  
_Bathing._  
_It must be this one._  
_The last remaining streetlight to have withstood the test of time._  
_The last yet to be replaced by the sickening blue-green of the future._  
_She bathes. Calm; breathing air of the present but living in the past._  
_The light flickers.  
_ _She flickers back._

__“Ah, I’m sorry if my phrasing is weird.” You looked up at his sudden remark._ _

____

____

“I-I wasn’t thinking that at all!” You watched Yuuki as he fiddled with his finger tips, avoiding eye contact.

“But it took you awhile to read, so I was wondering if my phrasing sounded wrong.” You quickly dismissed his doubts.

“Oh no, that’s not it at all. I actually really liked your poem. It’s short, but it’s detailed.” He looked up at you.

“You don’t think it’s too short?I usually like to do longer works.” You shook your head, setting his poem beside his laptop.

“I don’t think it’s too short at all!” He let out soft sigh as a smile graced his lips.

“I’m so glad…Though if I’m being honest, I figured since today was the first day we were sharing I’d be mild in my work.” He paused. “Easy to digest, that’s it.” Your gaze shifted back to his poem.

“Are you into ghosts, Yuuki?” You asked, genuine curiosity lacing your voice.

“Not exactly. It’s not really about a ghost at all, rather the subject being compared to a ghost.”

“Ah, well, I suppose that part was just lost on me. Still, putting it that way, it makes it sound a lot more solem. It’s impressive.” He gave a soft smile, a light pink dusting his cheeks at the flattery.

“Oh, i-it’s nothing, really. It just makes me happy you think that. Still, you should just remember that soon you’ll be able to pick up on things, too.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I just gotta keep trying, then maybe I’ll be good like the rest of you, right?” Yuuki nodded in affirmation. Perhaps it was just you, but it felt like he was slowly coming out of his shell.

You plopped back into your seat, letting out a slightly exhausted breath as you relaxed in your chair. Gosh, how hard has your heart been beating? Maybe you were just shy when sharing your poem with the others. Maybe you’d be more calm about it tomorrow. You looked around the room at the others, who were just exchanging poems with the last person to see them. In a way, you couldn’t help but wonder if they were judging you for your mediocre writing. Well, regardless on if that was true, you still got yourself into this, right? 

Across the room, Goro and Ryuji were chatting, each other’s poems in hand, though it looked like the latter would want to be talking with literally anyone else. Your eyes landed over on Akira and Yuuki. You watch as they exchange their poems, as they begin reading in tandem. Akira’s eyebrows furrowing in thought, while Yuuki gives a slightly forced smile.

“Who is this…?” You hear the taller male mumble before the shorter looked up at him. 

“Er… What was that, Akira?” In response, he simply shook his head, setting Yuuki’s poem back on the desk.

“It’s fancy, I guess. What game character did you write this about?” Yuuki gave a sputter of embarrassment before Akira gave a half-hearted chuckle. “I’m kidding… Well, mostly kidding.” The navy haired boy simply let out an ‘oh’ before skimming over Akira’s poem once more.

“Ah, yours is… cute…?” You can tell by his tone of voice that Yuuki was struggling to come up with a compliment for Akira’s writing. Still… Just calling it cute when he was so passionate about its deeper meaning could only mean…

“Cute? Seriously? Did you just miss the symbolism or something? Clearly it’s about the feelings of giving up and societal oppression of those that don’t have life handed to them on a silver platter! How can that be cute?!” You wince as Akira’s tone became louder and louder.

“No, that’s not it! I meant…” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “The phrasing, I guess? I’m sorry, I was just trying to think of something nice to say…” Yuuki immediately winced at his own word choice.

“You have to try to think of something nice to say? Jeez, even if you actually tried, it didn’t come out like that at all.” Yuuki quickly combed a hand through his hair, trying to think of a way to save the conversation.

“Well, I mean, I could give a suggestion if you wa-”

“If I needed suggestions, I would’ve asked from someone who liked it. Which there were. Ryuji did, and [Y/n] did, too! Based on that, I feel I have the grounds to give you a suggestion of my own. First off-” 

“Excuse me. I’ve spent the past few years honing and crafting my writing style. I don’t intend to change it very much anytime soon. That is, unless I encounter anything particularly inspiring.” You could’ve sworn you caught him glancing in your direction as he said that. “Not to mention that [Y/n] liked my poem to, so if that’s the only string to your bow...”

Suddenly Akira stands, straight and tall. Huh. When he improved his posture, he certainly was intimidating, and considering the fact that Yuuki was the shortest boy in the club, you could practically feel a subdued sense of fear radiating from him.

“Oh? I didn’t realize you were so focused on impressing our new member, Yuuki!” Akira set his hands on his hips, looking down at his ‘opponent’. You turned around in your chair to face them both.

“Ah, w-what?! No! It’s.. it’s nothing like that a-at all!” Yuuki fumbled over his words, clearly caught off guard by Akira’s accusation. He took in a deep breath, standing up as tall as he could, though he still only came up to Akira’s shoulders. Still, he seemed to have a reignited confidence. “Maybe you're jealous because [Y/n] appreciates my advice more than yours?” Akira simply scoffed before rebutting.

“Oh? And how can you be so sure of that? Or are you just THAT full of yourself?” Yuuki took in another sharp breath, trying to keep his confident front from breaking. 

“I… I’m not! If I was…” He paused, clenching his fists together in front of him. “If I was, I’d go out of my way to make myself have an overwhelming sex appeal that shoves itself into everyone's face.” Ryuji walked up behind you, setting his hand on your shoulder.

“Hey, is everything going okay or…?”

“Oh I’m sorry, have I been the one who’s dick has been magically growing since [Y/n] showed up? Or is that just my overwhelming sex appeal, Yuuki?!” Yuuki’s veil of confidence temporarily broke as he let out and embarrassed sputter before it reinforced itself once again. Goro joined Ryuji in standing behind you, clearing a small amount of his hair behind his ear.

“Akira, don’t you think that’s a little…?” Both of them snapped their attention to Goro.

“THIS DOESN’T INVOLVE YOU!” They had yelled in unison. Goro’s expression had looked rather put out as Ryuji lightly tightened his grip on your shoulder, attempting to mediate. 

“We don’t need to be fighting, guys-!” Their attention then snapped to Ryuji, before both of them carefully drifted their gaze to you. Yuuki went back to fiddling his fingertips together as he looked at you sheepishly. 

“[Y/n]... I-I promise Akira’s just trying to make me look bad…!” Akira let out a loud click of his tongue.

“Oh please! You’re the one who started it. If you could just learn and appreciate that simple writing can be just as effective, none of this would be happening. Like, not everything has to be so convoluted to the point where the reader might not even be able to get the meaning at all! I mean, you get it, right [Y/n]?” 

“W-wait now, there’s a reason language has so many complex words. You can always use them to paint the scenery and write the scenarios so the reader can be there. Avoiding them is just limiting yourself and making a waste. You get it, right [Y/n]?” Both their eyes are trained right on you, as if burning holes deep into you.

“Well?!” Both of them had yelled in unison once more. Jeez, why were they asking you anyway? You were the one who knew the least about writing! You winced trying to think of the best way to diffuse the situation in the most unbiased way possible. You take in a breath, looking at Akira.

“Well,” Though you quickly swallowed whatever you were going to say to him, as his stare was far too intimidating for you to keep talking. Instead, you turned your attention to Yuuki. “See,” But once again you can’t find yourself able to finish your sentence as the look on Yuuki’s face would make you feel far too guilty to say anything mean. Still… what to do…? You feel Ryuji’s grip tighten on your shoulder once more, his expression a tad somber. Ah! That’s it!

“Ryuji!” You suddenly yelled out, startling the male. “Can’t you see that the fighting is ruining the mood? Heck, it’s even making Ryuji uncomfortable. So how can you two fight if it’s making your friend feel like this?” Ryuji gave you a gentle smile.

“[Y/n]...”  
“This isn’t about Ryuji, though!” Akira had interjected, clearly annoyed with your choice of words, Yuuki nodding in agreement.

“It isn’t his responsibility to be forced into our fight.” Akira then leaned on the nearest desk, a playful grin on his face.

“I mean, unless he wants to admit that Yuuki’s being a stuck-up jerk.” 

“H-hey! Ryuji would never…” He shakes his head, looking dead at Akira. “Besides, if you weren’t being so immature, no one would be uncomfortable in the first place.” Akira let out an audible ‘Oh my God’, slamming his hand on the desk.

“Are you actually listening to yourself right now? This is exactly why no one else wants to-”

“Hey now!” Ryuji yelled, cutting off whatever retort Akira had prepared. “Akira! Yuuki! You two are my friends!” He had said it with a grin, but you couldn’t help but notice a twinge of sadness behind his smile. “We shouldn’t be fighting here. I just want all of you to get along, you hear? All of you are great, and it feels like I belong with you guys even if you’re all so different. Akira’s poems are good ‘cause he can make you feel so much with just a few words, and Yuuki’s are good ‘cause he can paint the best pictures in your head. We all got talent, so we shouldn’t be fighting, right?”

“Well…”

“I mean, I guess…”

“Not to mention that Akira’s handsome and there isn’t anything wrong with it, and while I won’t go into detail, Yuuki’s dick is the exact same as it’s always been!” You briefly heard Akira make a rather snide remark under his breath about Yuuki getting turned on every club meeting if it’s the same as it’s always been, though everyone who could hear it chose to ignore it, and perhaps that was for the best.

Still Ryuji stood triumphantly, though Goro wore a rather impressed expression on his face. Akira turned on his heel, going to the kettle in the back.

“I’ll just make some coffee.” Though Yuuki sat down in his seat, staring off into the nearest window with a hollow look in his eye. Ryuji plopped down next to him, trying to prompt any type of conversation, while Goro set his hand on your shoulder.

“And this is why Ryuji is our vice president.” You simply nod as he smiles, watching Ryuji and Yuuki go deep into conversation about who knew what. “I may seem like a good leader and that I’m good at organizing, but I’m not exactly great with people. I mean, I could barely interject back there. It’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?” He let out a soft laugh. You had to admit, from what you’ve seen from him in the past, that was a small shock to you.

“Well, I personally don’t think so, and I can’t really blame you. I had to get Ryuji to help out, after all, though when it comes to conflict in general I’m not very good at handling it.

“I guess that means he’s amazing in his own ways, right?” You nod once more.

“Yeah, you could say that. He isn’t exactly the brightest, though he seems to always know what he’s doing. Well, most of the time, anyway.” 

“Ah, I understand. Well, he better take good care of you, okay? I’d hate to see you get hurt because of someone like him.”

“Oh w-well, this is Ryuji we’re talking about, so I’m sure if you’re really worried about it I’m positive you can count on him.” Gosh was this real? I mean, the one and only Goro Akechi addressing you so warmly and familiarity. Your heart was gonna burst out of your chest at this rate. Still, no matter what he said, you would firmly believe he was a great president. Honestly, if only you would have more opportunities to be closer to him... 

“Okay, everyone!” Goro had announced after more time had passed. “It’s just about time for us all to leave for the day. How did everyone feel about sharing poems?” He had asked, looking over the four of you.

“I thought it was fun.” Ryuji said with a grin,

“All things considered, I say it was worth it.” Yuuki added, softly smiling.

“I mean,” Akira began as he leaned back in his chair. “It was mostly alright.” Goro looked at you specifically.

“What about you, [Y/n]?” 

“Oh, well, I feel about the same. It’s a neat thing to talk about with everyone, and I think for the most part we all got a bit closer together.” Goro grinned, eager with your response.

“Awesome! If you all think that, let’s do this again for tomorrow. I mean, if you learned from your friends, it should be easier tonight, right? Not to mention, your poem will be even better.” You paused in thought. You did learn more about what writing styles everyone liked, so you could probably try to impress whoever you wanted to. You nod with reignited determination.

“Hey, [Y/n]!” You looked up at Ryuji who was grinning above you. “You ready to head back home?” You nodded with a smile as he pulled you up on your feet. You’d been spending more time with him these days then you’ve had in the past year, but you honestly didn’t mind at all. 

You walked side by side down the pathway back home, knuckles occasionally brushing past each other due to your closeness. While the start of the walk was filled with lighthearted banter, it was now just an uncomfortable silence between you two. You looked over at him, finding the silence unbearable and starting a conversation.

“Hey Ryuji… “ You began, waiting until he looked over at you to continue. “About earlier today…” You trailed off, not exactly sure how to tackle the question.

“Yeah, what about it?” 

“Well, it’s just about Yuuki and Akira. Like, is that normal for them to do?” 

“Oh, no, no, no! It’s the first time I’ve seen them do that, but they're both really cool people. You gotta trust me on this.” His face froze as he came to a potential realization. “Wait, you don’t hate them, do you?” Though you were quick to diffuse his worries.

“No, not at all! I just wanted your opinion. They make good friends for you.” He let out a small sigh of relief as he kept walking.

“Y’know, [Y/n], I’m really glad I’ve been getting to spend time with you in club, but it also makes me real happy that you’re getting along with everyone else so well. Not to mention it looks like everyone’s been getting along with you right back.” A light blush came to your cheeks.

“You really think so?” He nodded as he spun on his heel, taking your hands in his and looked into your eyes.

“Hell yeah! Everyday is gonna kick ass with you around!” You sigh, but a smile was still on your face.

“Well, we just have to see what the future holds, right Ryuji?” Though you said it more to yourself than to him, it could be seen as monologue or regular conversation. He nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Yeah, this would be great.

Although, before you could think about the future, you’d have to write another poem first.


End file.
